Work Text:
December 2009
The flight from Dublin seemed to take longer than usual this time around. At least, that’s how it felt to Cameron. When she mentioned this to her younger sister, Elizabeth just looked at her and smirked. “Are ya daft, Cameron…or, maybe you’re just a wee bit anxious?”
Cameron rolled her eyes and said, “Never mind.” She wasn’t about to let Elizabeth know she’d hit the nail on the head. Cam was anxious – anxious about the second leg of the trip from Dublin. But she’d had about enough of the merciless teasing she’d been getting from Elizabeth and Jeremy – and even her Mam and Da, the traitors – and the long faces of the younger ones, Lucas and Katherine. When were Luke and Kate going to realize that Cameron wasn’t going to be able to spend every last Christmas with them? After today, she was finally going to have someone of her very own to share her Christmases with, and she was pretty sure a fair number of them would be spent up in Boston.
Boston. The place took on so much importance now. What was once simply a lovely city to explore between concert dates was now instead the hometown of the people she thought of as her second family. It was the birthplace of the man who’d stolen into her heart and soul and dreams over the course of their almost five year long friendship. It was where she was going after she dropped her family off at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Today was the day Cameron Kennedy was going to tell Chris Evans that their “someday” had finally arrived.
Chris. Gorgeous, sexy, funny, brilliant, wonderful Chris. He’d started worming his way into every corner of her heart from the very first moment they’d met, back in 2005 at The Fantastic Four premiere in New York. It still made her smile when she recalled how hard her brothers, a.k.a. Thing One (Jeremy) and Thing Two (Lucas), had lobbied her to get tickets to the premiere. Comic book fiends both, they’d nearly swooned when they found out Marvel was making a film based on one of their favorite superhero teams. (To that effect, the boys almost swallowed their tongues when they found out their big sister had signed with Marvel Studios to play Black Widow, the first female Avenger, in several upcoming films.) They kept at her, day and night, until one day she waved a Fed Ex envelope under their noses and told them they were going to the premiere on Liberty Island. She was promptly knocked flat on her back and dogpiled by two very exuberant boys who were simultaneously trying to hug her while shouting at her in their native Irish. It took more than two weeks for the bruises on her lower back and right hip to fade.
Proudly wearing the crown of “Best Sister Ever in the History of Sisters,” Cameron called in another favor and arranged for the boys to meet the cast in private, and it was during that meet and greet that an amazing pair of blue eyes met her own gray ones and made her heart skip a beat. Those eyes had caused her heart to skip many a beat in the almost five years since then.
Although secretly enamored of the Boston-born Chris Evans – and really, she shouldn’t have been, what with him being a Red Sox fan and her a diehard devotee of Derek Jeter and the Yankees – she welcomed him into her tiny group of close-knit friends but refused to entertain any other ideas he may have had, once he ended his relationship with the young actress he’d been involved with at the time he and Cam first met, that is. Chris was loyal and it wasn’t in his nature to be a cheater and, besides, Cameron would have kicked him to the curb if he was. Cheating was a capital offense in her book. But once he was free, the full court press to get Cam to date him began. Still she refused. Her best friend Gia and her other best friend, Josh Groban both thought she was nuts. They insisted Chris was perfect for her – why the hell didn’t she want to go out with him? She insisted that her reasons were perfectly valid. His career was just starting to really take off and her career was as red hot as ever and that meant that they only got to spend time together four, maybe five times a year. What the hell kind of relationship would that be?
Cameron wouldn’t admit it to Gia and Josh – although she suspected they knew all along – but she knew that if she allowed herself to get involved with the very, very lovable Chris Evans, she’d want nothing more than to become his permanent groupie and follow him all over the world and back, her own career be damned. That wasn’t going to work on a number of levels. Having just turned twenty when they met in July of 2005, she was still a bit young for that kind of all-consuming love affair, and she still had a few professional mountains left to climb. At the time they’d met, she hadn’t yet acted in her first film and while she’d contributed to dozens of movie soundtracks over the years, she’d not yet composed an entire score for a film on her own. This was a major life goal for her and she was hell-bent on reaching that goal. Yes, she felt her reasons for keeping him in the friend zone were valid and, at first, Chris was accepting of it but as time went on and he lost more and more of his heart to her, he became less understanding despite his continued respect for the boundaries she drew.
In 2007, she finally got the chance to compose a movie score and it was for a film she’d been signed to star in. The story of two star-crossed lovers who are pulled apart by circumstance but find each other again at the end really resonated with Cameron. She wrote a song for the film that, when she really looked at it, said everything she actually wanted to tell Chris and what she imagined he’d wanted to say to her for a very long time. The song was called “Someday.” The evening she played the fully orchestrated recording of “Someday” for Gia, Josh, Chris, Chris’ brother Scott, and a few other close friends, she could feel Chris’ eyes on her during the entire song. When she finally got up the nerve to look at him, she could see that he knew exactly who that song was actually meant for. The look in his eyes had sent a thrill down her spine she’d never experienced before in her life. In early 2008, Cameron was nominated for two Academy Awards, one for Best Original Score and the other for Best Original Song. She won both, making her, at age twenty-two, the youngest female film composer to win the award. But she won much more than two Oscars that night. Her parents came with her, of course, but she took as her “dates” Gia, Josh and Chris. At the post-award show party, Chris took her by the hand and led her to a dark, secluded corner he’d found. He took her in his arms, whispered, “Someday, Cameron,” and proceeded to give her the kind of kiss fairytales were built around. (She later told Gia it was better than “that Princess Bride kiss.”) Oh, she’d been no stranger to Chris’ lips before then. From the time they became friends, he always greeted her with a quick kiss on the lips. But the kiss that night, well, that was a whole different hello kiss. That kiss meant business; that kiss held serious promise. From that night on, Chris and Cameron were more than just friends.
A year or so later, Cameron finally realized that she needed to make some serious decisions about her life, her career, and her love for Chris. He was a wonderfully patient man but patience only went so far and, deep down, she was scared that he’d get tired of waiting and find someone else to be with. And there was absolutely no shortage of women who were enamored of the handsome, well-built, and genuinely nice Chris. She’d lost count of how many times he’d been hit on in her presence whenever they went to her uncle’s pub or the club owned by her own father and Gia’s dad. Chris would good-naturedly play along: he’d buy them drinks, talk to them for a while (he had a way of making a person feel like they were the only one that mattered), and dance with them (because the boy loved to dance). But, somehow, some way, he’d always end up right back by Cam’s side. She never questioned that, and he never offered any explanations. It was what it was.
So, this past March, she decided to show her hand a little and she told Chris that she’d have something to discuss with him around Christmas and that he’d be happy to hear what she had to say. What she didn’t tell him was that she’d finally decided to end one element of her career – the element that caused the most trouble in this would-be love story: she was going to retire from touring. She’d been on the road for six to nine months every other year since the age of seven. When she wasn’t headlining her own tour, she was doing guest appearances on other people’s tours (she and Josh spent so much time touring together during the early part of his career that people thought they’d end up married with kids somewhere along the way). And when she wasn’t onstage at all, she was in the studio recording her own albums, guesting on other artists’ albums (she appeared on every one of Josh’s studio and live albums, every one), and contributing her talents to countless film scores (she was privileged to play for her mentor, composer John Williams, many, many times over the years). She was busy with a capital “B.” But now, she was also tired…and in love. If she was going to travel from here on out, it would be to accompany Chris when he traveled for work or to be his cheering section and support system when he had to do press for his films, something he’d never really been overly fond of. She simply wanted to be with him, and she knew he would return the favor when he wasn’t working and it was her turn to show up onstage somewhere. She still planned to do occasional one-off concerts and guest appearances but no more full-blown tours. Those days were over, forever.
So here she was, on December 15, 2009, flying from her hometown of Dublin, Ireland to New York City to drop off her family so she could then fly to Boston to surprise Chris and tell him she was his to do with what he will. She finished up the last couple of months of the European tour she’d had to interrupt in order to film Iron Man 2. She then flew to Dublin to rendezvous with her family and film two Christmas specials for European and American television and now she was done for the year. The biggest plan she had for this holiday season was to lose her virginity to Chris. Just the thought of it made her smile.
“What are ya smiling about, Cam?” a forlorn looking Lucas said as he slid into the seat opposite his sister’s. There were plusses and minuses to owning your own jet: not having to fly commercial, plus; being able to fly on your own schedule, plus; having seats that faced each other when you were trying to avoid having a particular conversation with someone, minus. She so didn’t want to have the “why I’m going to Boston for Christmas” conversation all over again but Lucas was determined to beat that particular horse to death.
“I’m thinking about the fun we had back in Dublin,” she said, the brogue Chris loved so much fully evident. She wondered idly how long it would take to disappear again once she was around Chris’ family. She had no control over it. When she was with family, it appeared; when she wasn’t, it wasn’t noticeable at all except for a phrase or two she couldn’t keep the Irish out of. “It’s not often you and the other kids get to start their Christmas vacation right after Thanksgiving.”
“Wasn’t all vacation, we had to complete all that work our teachers gave us to do while we were in Ireland.”
“Loopy Lucas,” Cam said with a grin, “did I or did I not help you and Kate breeze through much of it?” She had him there. He sighed as he nodded. “All you have to do is show up later this week to hand it in and you’re right back out the door again. Your school chums must be green with envy.”
“I suppose,” he said with another sigh.
“Jay-sus, lad, you’re being a real downer.”
“Why are you going to stay up in Boston for Christmas? Why can’t you come down for a day or two then go back up on Boxing Day or the day after that?”
“We’ve been through this, Lucas.” Now she sighed as he presented her with his mulish face. Funny, she never before noticed how much he looked like Chris when he did that. “This is going to be my first Christmas with Chris as boyfriend and girlfriend and I’d like to spend it where he wants to spend it and that’s with his family in Boston. I’ll most likely be with you for New Year’s.” With Chris in tow, if God was good.
“What if he doesn’t want to be boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Cam gaped at Lucas. “Bite your tongue, lad!” She shook her head. “You know Chris and I have long had feelings for each other but things just didn’t work out, timing-wise. The time is finally right. I don’t doubt that he will have me.” Over and over again, if I’m lucky. She smiled at Lucas. “You know I love you, Loopy Lucas. I always will. Chris is a wonderful addition to the people I hold in my heart. He certainly isn’t a replacement for anyone, least of all you. Come on, cheer up. We all have to grow up and go our separate ways eventually, my love. Your time will come soon enough. And if it doesn’t, Mam and Da will make it happen.” She watched as Lucas fought to keep a small smile off his face.
“You promise to be with us for New Year’s, even if we decide to go back to Dublin?” God, he looked so hopeful. How could she possibly say no to that face? “Yes, love, I’ll be with you for New Year’s, even if it’s in Dublin. I promise.”
Lucas stopped fighting the smile and let it crank up to full wattage. He got up to leave then turned back to Cam. “As future brothers-in-law go, Chris is a winner. He’s a right proper match for you, Cam. I’m happy for you both.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I love you, big sister.”
“And I love you, so very much, Thing Two.” She watched him walk away, her precious combination of sixteen year old bravado and ten year old big sister-hero worship.
A few moments later, her pilot announced that he was starting his approach to LaGuardia. The Kennedys scrambled around to get in their seats and buckle up. Less than thirty minutes later, the jet was slowly taxiing to Cam’s private hangar and she unbuckled herself and walked over to the door so she could say goodbye to everyone in turn.
Liam and Isabella were the first to disembark. “You’ll call us when you get to Boston, poppet?” Liam asked as he leaned down to kiss his daughter’s forehead.
“Always do, Da.” She gave him a hug.
“You be sure to give the Evans family our love, my girl,” Isabella said as she wrapped her arms around her eldest.
“Always do, Mam,” Cam said with a grin as she returned the hug.
Isabella pulled back and smiled. “Good luck, Cameron. Many blessings upon you and Christopher.”
Cam blushed even as she grinned widely. “Thanks, Mam. I love you both very much.”
“We love you, too, lass,” Liam said as he turned to follow his wife out of the plane. He shook a finger at Cameron. “Be careful, lass.”
Understanding his meaning, Cameron turned bright red. “Goodbye, Da!” Liam chuckled as he stepped out.
Up next were the twins. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, Cameron,” Jeremy said with a leer.
“Is there anything you wouldn’t do, Thing One?” They both laughed as they exchanged a hug. “Love you, little bro.”
“Back at you, big sis.”
“Oh, Cameron,” Elizabeth said, “I know I’ve given you all kinds of what for about this Chris thing, but I’m really happy for you. Go get your man, big sister!”
“Will do. Love you, Lizzie.”
“Love you, too,” Elizabeth returned as she hugged her sister goodbye. What she wouldn’t give to be able to do something as bold and romantic as what Cameron was about to do. This was the stuff of a great romance novel.
“New Year’s, Cameron,” Lucas said as he stepped up for his hug.
“Got it, Luke,” she chuckled as she squeezed him and kissed his ear, knowing it would make him squirm.
“Good luck, Cammie. I hope one day I can be as bold and brave as you,” Katherine said as she wrapped her arms around her sister’s waist. “I hope I can be just as in love, too.”
“Aw, princess, you will be one day, I’m sure of it,” Cam said as she kissed the top of her baby sister’s head. “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks. Love you, Kate.”
“Love you, too, Cam. Say hi to Chris for me.” Kate bounced out of the plane.
“Will do, lovey,” she called after her sister.
Cameron stepped into the doorway and looked down the steps at her family gathered below. She waved; they waved back. She stepped back into the plane as Noreen, her flight attendant, closed the cabin door. She went to the cockpit door and banged on it as she yelled to the pilot, “Let’s get this bird back in the air, Daniel. I’ve got six feet of hard muscled man to seduce in Boston!”
“Thank God your parents are off the plane, lass!” Daniel, one of her many cousins, yelled back as Cameron and Noreen, another cousin, laughed. “They’d be right scandalized if they heard you. Grab a seat; we’ll be airborne in less than twenty minutes.”
Two and a half hours later, Cameron made a left onto the street where the Evans family homestead was located. She grinned; the car in front of her was being driven by none other than Scott Evans, Chris’ younger brother. It was just after eleven in the morning so if Scott was alone in the car, that probably meant Chris was still sleeping. When he was on vacation at home, Chris wasn’t big on being an early riser. She was going to make sure that changed, she thought with a slightly evil grin. They had too much lost time to make up for to have him sleeping in all the time. She followed Scott’s car from a slight distance – she didn’t want him to recognize her – then let out a whoop when she saw an empty parking spot just before the beginning of the Evans driveway. She waited until he’d pulled into the driveway and started to get out of his car before she got out of her rental. His back was to her so, with an exaggerated version of her normal brogue, she called out, “Excuse me, sir, I think I’m lost. Could you help me?”
“Oh, sure,” Scott said as he turned and started down the driveway towards her. He still hadn’t gotten a good look at her; her face was shadowed by the black fedora she wore. He was almost to her car when he suddenly stood stock still, his mouth hanging open in surprise. “Oh, my God! Cameron?!”
“In the flesh, boyo!” she managed to get out before he rushed her and pulled her into a tight hug. “How are you, love? Oh, by the way, surprise!”
“Oh my God! Chris said you were in Dublin until the nineteenth and that you were spending Christmas in New York. What are you doing here? No, wait, answer me after this.” He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers.
She returned his friendly kiss then said, “I’m here to proposition your brother.”
“Well, what do you know, there are such things as Christmas miracles! And about damn time, too. Chris is starting to lose his mind. He’s been hot for you for far longer than is normal for any man.”
“Ah, Scotty,” she said as she pulled out of his arms and turned to open the back door of her rental, “trust me when I tell you that I totally plan to make it worth his while.” She reached in and grabbed her suitcase. As she pulled it out, Scott grabbed it from her with a wide grin and said, “I see you plan on staying awhile.”
She slammed the door shut and locked the car. “Do you think your mam will mind?” she asked as she fell into step beside Scott.
“No, she will not mind. She’ll be thrilled beyond reason. And can I tell you how much I love that accent of yours? It just gets sexier every time I hear it. I can totally understand how Chris gets off on it.”
Cam laughed. “Jay-sus, the boy’s got it really bad, eh?”
“Sweetheart, you don’t know the half of it.” They stepped up on the porch. As Scott fished in his pocket for his keys, Cam looked around the property, done up with all manner of Christmas decorations, with a smile. Scott looked up at her and grinned. “You like the Evans version of a Christmas wonderland?”
“It’s great. One can only do so much with brick-faced brownstones and townhouses in the city but we put on a good show. However, this must look gorgeous at night.”
“Oh, it does,” he said with a nod as he inserted his key in the lock.
“Just a second, Scotty. Where’s Chris? I mean, was he up when you left?”
“Sleeping Beauty? Are you kidding? He probably won’t roll out of bed until noon so I think you’re safe in terms of surprising him.”
Cam grinned in relief. “Good. He usually calls me when he wakes but he can be unpredictable.”
Scott laughed. “Yeah, just a little bit!” He unlocked the door and pushed it open. “After you, Wild Irish Rose. Love the fedora, by the way. Really ups the sexy factor. God, Chris is gonna fall over when he sees you.”
“So long as he doesn’t hurt anything important when he does. I have plans for that boy,” Cam drawled as she sauntered past Scott.
“Good God almighty. If Chris didn’t already have dibs on you, I would go straight for you and you alone, CK.”
“Why, Scott, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me!” They dissolved into laughter as Scott closed the door behind them.
“Who did you find on your way home, Scott?” Lisa Evans, Chris and Scott’s mother, called out as she came in from the kitchen. She stopped short, her eyes wide, when she spotted Cameron standing next to Scott in the foyer. “Oh, honey, are you a sight for sore eyes! Come over here and give your Mama Lisa a hug.”
Cameron stepped into Lisa’s warm embrace and hugged the older woman tightly. “It’s so good to see you too, Mama Lisa. I’ve missed you.” She planted a kiss on Lisa’s cheek.
“Missed you, too, sweetie.” Lisa pulled away slightly so she could look at Cameron. “Good Lord, you just get more beautiful every time I see you.”
“Oh, stop!”
“No, seriously, you do! And that brogue…you just got off the plane from Dublin, didn’t you?”
“Sort of. I dropped the family off at LaGuardia Airport first then flew here.”
“Did you make them jump out of the plane over LaGuardia in your haste to get here or did you actually land?” Scott asked as he moved Cam’s suitcase to the foot of the stairs.
“Good one, Scotty. I’ll have to mention that to Da, he’ll get a kick out of it. So, Mama, where is everyone? I already know Himself is still a-bed.”
Lisa laughed as she wrapped an arm around Cameron’s waist. “Adults at work, kid at school. I’m on vacation for the rest of the month, as is Scott. So how long will you be staying, sweetie?”
“Until just before New Year’s – I promised Lucas I’d come home – or until Chris tires of me, whichever comes first.”
“So forever, if we go by the latter option,” Lisa said with a laugh.
“Well, that could certainly be arranged,” Cam replied.
Lisa stopped chuckling and stared at Cam. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Cameron?”
“If you think I’m saying that I’m here to pledge my troth to your son, then yes.”
“Oh, honey, that’s wonderful!” She gave Cam another hug. “And it’s about damn time!”
“Yeah, I covered that already, Ma,” Scott said with a grin.
Cam opened her mouth to speak when her cell phone started playing “Lacrymosa,” another song she’d written for Chris. She grinned as she pulled the phone out of her coat pocket. “Guess who?” she said to Lisa. She put her finger to her lips as she answered the call. “Hey, you! Just getting out of bed, are we?” She motioned to the staircase, silently asking permission to go upstairs. Lisa nodded her head happily then mimed taking off her coat. Cam shrugged out of her coat with Scott’s help then started up the steps.
“Hey, babe. Yeah, I had a late night with the boys.”
“I see. So, basically, just another day at the office, eh?”
Chris chuckled. “Yeah, something like that. Hey, the reception is fantastic today. You’re coming in loud and clear.”
“So are you, a ghra. Got any plans for today?” She reached the top of the stairs and took a quick moment to count the doors. If she remembered correctly, Chris’ room was the third door on the right.
“Not really. I thought I’d stay home and annoy Mom and Scott.”
“Huh. Well, that sounds like a plan. Maybe something good will come up to change your mind.”
“Maybe but it’ll be nice to hang around today.”
“Always a good thing,” she said as she slowly creeped down the hall towards Chris’ bedroom. “Um, Chris, could you hang on a second?”
“Sure, babe.”
Cam quickly put the phone on mute and stopped in front of his door. She knocked twice.
“I’m on the phone,” Chris hollered in response.
Cam put her hand on the knob, took a deep breath and turned it. She pushed the door open and smiled as she watched Chris’ eyes widen and his jaw drop open in shock. “I know you are, a ghra.”
Chris tossed his phone over his shoulder and practically took a flying leap towards Cameron. He grabbed her arm, pulled her into the room, slammed the door, and backed her up against it in one smooth move. “You’re here.”
“That I am, mo ghra.” She dropped her phone on the floor and brought her arms up around his shoulders as he wrapped his around her waist.
“I can’t believe it. My God, you look good enough to eat. When did you get here?”
“Around fifteen minutes ago or so. Are you happy to see me?”
“I’m going to ignore that,” he said with a grin as he reached up to pull her hat off and toss it aside. “Any particular reason you decided to give me the surprise of a lifetime?”
“Well, I had a few words I wanted to say to you but I thought it was best to say them in person.”
Chris’ eyes traveled over her beautiful face as if he still couldn’t believe she was standing there in his arms. “And what words were those?” he asked softly, his still sleep roughened voice sending little shockwaves up and down her spine.
“Well, actually, it’s four words.”
He arched an eyebrow at her. “I’m listening.”
She gave him a tender smile. “Our someday is today.”
Chris felt an amazing warmth start low in his belly and work its way up his chest, a warmth he recognized as joy, a joy that threatened to suffocate him. He finally understood what it was to be truly, blissfully happy. His whole world, his entire reason for being, was standing within the circle of his arms and she was finally, finally giving herself to him completely. This was the moment he’d been waiting for since the day they’d met. “Cameron, baby, say that again.”
She felt tears sting her eyes as she saw his gorgeous blue eyes well up with tears of his own. She brought one hand up to cup his cheek as she leaned forward to gently brush her lips against his. “Our someday is today. I’m ready, Chris. I flew all this way to tell you in person that you’re the only man in the world for me. There’s a song that I love that says: ‘The story of my life is very plain to read. It starts the day you came, it ends the day you leave.’ I love you, Christopher Evans. I think I always have, but I know I always will.” She wiped away the lone tear that slipped from the corner of his eye and rolled down his cheek. “I know I made you wait for so long but I had to remove whatever obstacles stood in the way.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “What obstacles were those, sweetheart?” he asked in that same soft, sexy voice.
“I’ve retired from touring, Chris. This latest swing through Europe was the final one. I’ll only do one-off concerts and guest appearances going forward but concert tours are now a thing of the past. I…I just had to be sure I was ready to walk away from that. I mean, it’s been a part of my life for so long. But it’s the part of my life that kept me from you. And once I realized how much you truly meant to me, that part of my life was no longer worth the effort. You are. We are. From now on, the only tours I want to go on are your and our press tours. The only traveling I want to do on a regular basis is going on location with you. I love you, Chris. I’m here, I’m yours. For however long you want me.”
Chris closed his eyes as he fought to keep his emotions in check long enough to answer her. “Forever, Cameron, that’s how long I’m going to want you.” He opened his eyes and stared deeply into hers. “Forever. I love you. I’ve loved you for so long. I’m not going to lie to you – the wait has been hard, really fucking hard. But as I told you earlier this year: you are so worth the wait. Hearing you say all those beautiful things has definitely been worth the wait. But now it’s my turn to tell you all the things I’ve been waiting to say. You are everything I’ve ever hoped and prayed for. You fit me like a glove. You can tell what’s going on with me without my ever having to say a word. You make me feel things I never thought possible. You are my fairytale come true. I will love you until the last breath leaves my body. We are going to grow old together. We’re going to have kids. We’re going to spoil our grandchildren rotten. And yeah, we’re probably going to argue and fight but we’re going to work things out and then we’re going to have amazing makeup sex.” They both chuckled. “I will do everything in my power to make you happy, to keep you close to me, to keep you loving me. Because, Cameron, I will never stop loving you. You are my best friend and the love of my life. Forever.”
“I love you, Chris.”
“I love you, Cameron.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, moaning when her mouth opened under his. Suddenly, all the pent up emotions of the last five years came pouring out into that kiss and he plundered her mouth with abandon. She gave as good as she got, though. How long they stood there, lost in that kiss, neither of them knew but when they finally parted, they looked at each other and smiled, both knowing for certain that one would never, ever be without the other.